1956 First Edition of The House of the Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong – Hardcover with Dust Jacket

Title: The House of the Sixty Fathers
Author: Meindert DeJong
Illustrator/Artist: Maurice Sendak
Genre: Children's Historical Fiction / War & Survival / Classic Literature
Edition: First Edition, Later Printing
Publisher: Harper & Brothers

Tien Pao, a boy whose life is upended when a sudden river torrent shears his family's small wooden sampan away from its secure moorings, is swept downstream into enemy territory completely alone, forced to rely on sheer courage to navigate a landscape fractured by conflict.

The story opens on a rain-swept river where heavy drops break through an arched roof of woven mats, drumming against the long oars and landing directly on the neck of Tien Pao's beloved companion, a clever family pig. With only this loyal pet by his side, the determined boy embarks on a treacherous trek back toward Hengyang to locate his missing parents. Along his winding path, he is embraced by a brave company of sixty American airmen who adopt him as their own collective son, protecting him as he searches for his true home. Richly textured with stunning artwork, the story builds to a rewarding conclusion that highlights the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Beautifully written and illustrated, Tien Pao's odyssey is an excellent read-aloud story for families to share, prompting meaningful conversations about empathy, hope, and humanity.

Author Meindert DeJong (1906–1991): A Dutch-born American author who became one of the most decorated figures in the history of children's literature. His youth on a Michigan farm infused his storytelling with an affinity for animals and emotional depth. He published his debut book, The Big Goose and the Little White Duck, in 1938 and went on to forge a creative partnership with a young Maurice Sendak. DeJong won the Newbery Medal for The Wheel on the School in 1955, and in 1962, he became the first American writer to win the international Hans Christian Andersen Award for his lifetime contributions to children's books.

Artist Maurice Sendak (1928–2012): A titan of American illustration and children's literature, celebrated for changing the visual landscape of picture books forever. Best remembered for his iconic 1963 masterpiece Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak brought a unique, psychologically complex energy to his art that respected the real emotional lives of children. He won seven Caldecott Honor awards, starting with Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, and Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1970. Beyond his iconic titles like In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, his delicate, soulful crosshatched drawings for DeJong's novels remain a high-water mark for mid-century literary illustration.

First edition points include jacket design, price, published works listed; later printing indicated by absence of "First Edition" statement on copyright page and the Blue Ribbon Book seal on the jacket.

Condition: Fine/Near Fine. Dust jacket: Light shelf wear; "A Harper Blue Ribbon Book" wrap-around seal. Front flap shows price of $2.75, but while front and back flaps are clipped as part of the jacket design, a larger section of the lower right corner of the front flap was removed. Beige cloth cover boards with red decoration. Stamped "Property of Kennesaw Public School No ___" in the top left corner of front paste-down, however, this is not an ex-library book; there are no library markings, inside or out, or a card pocket. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.

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